1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a port assembly for mounting within an opening of a mounting structure, such as bird feeders. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bird feed port assembly for mounting to a bird feed containment housing through feed openings in the wall of the housing. The feed port assembly has particular utility for bird feed containment housings of multiple chambers wherein each chamber has a separate feed port assembly which can be mounted in the chamber wall at a location independent of the locations of the feed port assemblies of adjacent chambers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Commercially available bird feeders come in a great variety of configurations. These feeders generally include a housing for retaining the bird feed with a plurality of openings within the housing to provide access to the bird feed within the housing interior. One such bird feed assembly includes a cylindrical hopper having spiral or helical walls that extend substantially vertically from the top to the bottom of the hopper to define a plurality of distinct chambers to retain different types of bird feed. Each chamber is isolated from adjacent chambers. Such a bird feeder having a cylindrical hopper or tube is shown in commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/823,766, entitled “Bird Feeder” filed on Apr. 14, 2004 (hereinafter “the '766 application”), based on provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/462,297, filed on Apr. 14, 2003. A spiral or helical bird feed dispenser is also the subject of commonly assigned design patent application Ser. No. 29/181,047 filed May 5, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. D490,941 issued Jun. 1, 2004. Each of these applications are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
The '766 application discloses a cylindrical hopper with spiral or helical partitions to provide a multiplicity of compartments that provide the bird feed at a lower extremity through a coupler element. The patent application also recognizes that multiple vertically-spaced feed openings can be provided intermediate the top and bottom of the hopper shell to communicate with the individual compartments.
Vertically-oriented bird feeders are generally known in the art and include a plurality of holes or openings in the housing wall with a bird feed port assembly, including a combined perch and flap which engages the housing wall. An internally-oriented deflector extends into the housing interior to cover or shield the port opening to prevent gravitational discharge of feed through the opening, yet permit birds to access the seed by reaching into the holes or opening. See, U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,894 issued Apr. 15, 2003. In such patent, the port assembly appears to be affixed to the housing by some sort of snap-in configuration. However, snap-in port attachment systems are not very robust or secure.
Secure systems for attaching bird feed port assemblies to a housing are known. The feed port assemblies are known to be attached in opposing pairs so that the diametrically opposed pairs are fastened together and move in a direction toward each other, during tightening, to retain the port assemblies to an outwardly-directed housing surface. Such assemblies are not satisfactory when multiple chambers within a cylindrical housing are employed because the diametrically-opposed configuration cannot be utilized, at least in any reasonable cost effective manner. Thus, a need has arisen for a robust and secure port attachment system, particularly for a multiple compartment bird feeder or other mounting structure, wherein each port is independently and separately mounted to a mounting surface.